The Exorcism of Emily Rose: The Real Emily
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is no exception. Granted, the movie did provide cheap thrills, the suspenceful outcome of the trial, and certainly left people wondering how close to the truth this story comes; but at the same time, strays wildly from what I’ve researched to be the true story of the girl who died during an Exorcism.
In reality, the girl, Anneliese Michel, lived in Germany with her family, NOT in America, as portrayed in the movie. According to the true story, Anneliese did begin having seizures suddenly one day, and after being treated for Epilepsy, did eventually begin seeing and hearing things that could be considered ‘demonic’.
The real story states that Anneliese was the one who wanted to turn toward religion, and ultimately, both her parents and both priests who performed her exorcim were on trial for manslaughter due to negligence, and omitting first aid.
They were all found guilty, but weren’t allowed to go free as soon as trial was over, as was the priest in the movie…the four spent six months in prision and probation.
Several facts paralleled in the film and the alleged true story: both said the girl was found eating bugs off the floor in her room, the fact that the girl wouldn’t eat because the demons wouldn’t allow it, and during the exorcism, several demons presented themselves from the girl’s mouth, each speaking a different language and claiming to be another horrific and well-known demon of years past.
Anneliese’s body was exhumed eleven years after it was buried, as believers wanted to see if the body was decomposing as a normal dead body should–indeed it was. Her gravesite has become a sort of shrine to believers who bring flowers and rosaries to the tomb, sharing gifts for Anneliese, the girl who fought so strongly against the demons.
Granted, some people still hold onto the science side of things, saying that Anneliese never truly was possessed, but that she merely imagined the demonic sights and sounds. These non-believers chalk it up to her age, and that she was in puberty, and that stage of life can make people more on edge, and more susceptable to seeing things that aren’t there and other disorders that could be chalked up to stress. However, legend has it that the people who witnessed Anneliese’s exorcism had no doubt that the girl was possessed by true demons, all who spoke their names in their native tongues.
Whether or not Anneliese was truly possessed or not is a matter of opinion. There was nothing proven to either side of the case that she did have demons dwelling within her, or that she was merely a teen with a bad case of epilepsy. However, her story was ‘Hollywoodized’ for the silver screen, so take what you are viewing with a grain of salt.
